Mattress

ABSTRACT

A mattress includes a first end and an opposite second end arranged in a direction of the mattress. The mattress is configured to have a first firmness pattern suitable for side sleepers when the first end is used as a head end and the second end is used as a foot end, and have a second firmness pattern suitable for back sleepers when the first end is used as a foot end and the second end is used as a head end. The mattress has a firmness distribution which is asymmetric about a middle line of the mattress which is perpendicular to the direction.

FIELD

The present invention relates to mattresses and, in particular, to amattress suitable for multiple postures of users.

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, a mattress plays an important role in the daily lives ofhumans. A comfortable mattress may make the daily life of humans moreenjoyable. Currently widely used mattresses in the market usually have auniform hardness over the whole length of the mattress. However, somepeople are back sleepers while other people are side sleepers. A sidesleeper needs a softer region in the shoulder section to allow theshoulder of the user to sink in easier. This allows the spine of theuser to be straight, which is important. A back sleeper needs a strongersupport provided by the mattress which should not sink too easily.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved mattress which is suitablefor users with different postures.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, an improved mattress which is suitable for users withdifferent postures is provided.

In one aspect, a mattress comprises a supporting layer defining alongitudinal direction and a lateral direction. The supporting layercomprises a first section and a second section arranged in thelongitudinal direction, and the first section comprises a firmnessreduced region of which the firmness is less than that of other regionsadjacent the firmness reduced region and that of the second section.

In some embodiments, the firmness reduced region defines a plurality ofholes.

In some embodiments, the holes are void.

In some embodiments, the holes are filled with material which is softerthan material of the firmness reduced region surrounding the holes.

In some embodiments, the holes extend in the lateral direction.

In some embodiments, the holes pass through the supporting layer in thelateral direction.

In some embodiments, the supporting layer further defines a thicknessdirection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the lateraldirection, and sizes of the holes in the thickness direction graduallyreduce from a middle of the firmness reduced region to opposite ends ofthe firmness reduced region in the longitudinal direction.

In some embodiments, the first section defines a recess in which aninserter is received, and the inserter is made of material which issofter than material of the first section.

In some embodiments, the supporting layer further defines a thicknessdirection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the lateraldirection, and sizes of the inserter in the thickness directiongradually reduce from a middle of the inserter to opposite ends of theinserter in the longitudinal direction.

In some embodiments, the inserter has a triangle shape in a crosssection perpendicular to the lateral direction.

In some embodiments, the mattress further comprises a cover layerstacked on and covering the supporting layer.

In some embodiments, the cover layer has a thickness which is less thanthat of the supporting layer.

In another aspect, the present application provides a mattresscomprising a first end and an opposite second end arranged in adirection of the mattress, the mattress configured to have a firstfirmness pattern suitable for side sleepers when the first end is usedas a head end and the second end is used as a foot end, and have asecond firmness pattern suitable for back sleepers when the first end isused as a foot end and the second end is used as a head end.

In some embodiments, the mattress has a firmness distribution which isasymmetric about a middle line of the mattress, the middle line beingperpendicular to said direction.

In some embodiments, the mattress comprises a firmness reduced regionadjacent to the first end and away from the second end.

In some embodiments, the firmness reduced region defines a plurality ofholes.

In some embodiments, the firmness reduced region comprises a recess andan inserter received in the recess, the inserter being made of materialsofter than material of other regions of the mattress.

In summary, the mattress of the present application can be adapted todifferent needs of the customers. On the sales floor, if a customer is aside sleeper and he wants to test the mattress, the first section of themattress can be used to support the head and shoulder of the customerand the second section can be used to support the waist/back/foot of thecustomer. The firmness reduced region is softer than the other regions,which facilities the shoulder of the customer to sink and thus allowsthe spine of the customer to be straight. Thus, the customer can get themattress to be perfect for him. If the customer is a back sleeper, thefirst section can be used to support his legs/feet and the secondsection can be used to support his head/shoulder/back/hip therebyproviding enough firmness and support to him. This means, the store hasthe perfect mattress in stock with much less inventory. At home, if theuser is a side sleeper, he can choose the first section to support hishead and shoulder and the second section to support his waist/back/feet.If the user is a back sleeper, he can choose the first section tosupport his legs/feet and the second section to support hishead/shoulder/back/hip. The mattress is suitable for users withdifferent postures.

Other independent aspects of the invention will become apparent byconsideration of the detailed description, claims and accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mattress in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mattress of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a mattress in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mattress of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the mattress of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a plan view of a mattress in accordance with a thirdembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Before any independent embodiments of the invention are explained indetail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thefollowing drawings. The invention is capable of other independentembodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in variousways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyused herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regardedas limiting. Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereofas used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of”and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only theitems listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Further, it is to beunderstood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”,“upward” and “downward”, etc., are words of convenience and are not tobe construed as limiting terms.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mattress in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present application and FIG. 2 is a perspective viewof the mattress of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the mattress 10 comprises a supportinglayer 30 defining a longitudinal direction corresponding to a heightdirection of a user and a lateral direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction. Preferably, the size of the supporting layer 30in the longitudinal direction is greater than the size of the supportinglayer 30 in the lateral direction. The supporting layer 30 comprises afirst section 32 and a second section 34 arranged in the longitudinaldirection, and the first section 32 comprises a firmness reduced region36 of which the firmness is less than that of other regions adjacent thefirmness reduced region 36. The size of the second section 34 in thelongitudinal direction is greater than that of the first section 32.Preferably, the second section 34 has a uniform firmness which isgreater than that of the firmness reduced region 36.

In use, if the user is a side sleeper, the first section 32 can be usedto support the head and shoulder of the user and the second section 34can be used to support the waist/back/feet of the user. That is, one endof the mattress 10 close to the first section 32 and away from thesecond section 34 is used as a head end, the opposite other end of themattress 10 close to the second section 34 and away from the firstsection 32 is used as a foot end, and the mattress 10 has a firstfirmness pattern suitable for side sleepers. The firmness reduced region36 is configured to support the shoulder of the user. The firmnessreduced region 36 is softer than the other regions, which facilities theshoulder of the user to sink and thus allows the spine of the user to bestraight.

If the user is a back sleeper, the first section 32 can be used tosupport the legs/feet of the user and the second section 34 can be usedto support the head/shoulder/back/hip of the user thereby providingenough firmness and support to the user. That is, one end of themattress 10 close to the first section 32 and away from the secondsection 34 is used as a foot end, the opposite other end of the mattress10 close to the second section 34 and away from the first section 32 isused as a head end, and the mattress 10 has a second firmness patternsuitable for back sleepers.

In this embodiment, the firmness reduced region 36 defines a pluralityof holes 38. In some embodiments, the holes 38 are parallel to eachother and extend in the lateral direction of the supporting layer 30. Inthis embodiment, the holes 38 are arranged in a row in the longitudinaldirection. Alternatively, the holes 38 may be arranged in multiple rowsin a thickness direction and each row extends in the longitudinaldirection. The thickness direction is perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection and the lateral direction.

In some embodiments, the holes 38 are continuous holes passing throughthe supporting layer 30 in the lateral direction. Alternatively, theholes 38 each comprises a plurality of discrete parts without passingthrough the supporting layer 30 in the lateral direction.

In some embodiments, the sizes of the holes 38 in the thicknessdirection gradually reduce from a middle of the firmness reduced region36 to opposite ends of the firmness reduced region 36 in thelongitudinal direction, which results in the firmness of the firmnessreduced region 36 gradually reducing from the opposite ends of thefirmness reduced region 36 to the middle of the firmness reduced region36 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the holes 38 areround and the diameters of the holes 38 gradually reduce from the middleof the firmness reduced region 36 to opposite ends of the firmnessreduced region 36 in the longitudinal direction.

The mattress 10 may further comprise a cover layer 50 stacked on andcovering the supporting layer 30. Preferably, the cover layer 50 and thesupporting layer 30 have the same width in the lateral direction and thesame length in the longitudinal direction. The supporting layer 30 has athickness greater than that of the cover layer 50.

The supporting layer 30 is made of a first material and the cover layer50 is made of a second material. The first material is harder than thesecond material. In some embodiments, the supporting layer 30 is made ofhigh rebound foam and can provide enough support and firmness to theuser. The cover layer 50 is made of visco foam. Understandably, thesupporting layer 30 and the cover layer 50 may be made of othermaterial.

The holes 38 may be void or filled with a third material which is softerthan the first material of the first section 32 surrounding the holes38.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a mattress in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of themattress of FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the mattress ofFIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the mattress of the second embodiment is similarto the mattress of the first embodiment except the firmness reducedregion 36. The firmness reduced region 36 of the second embodimentcomprises a recess 39 defined in a surface of the supporting layer 30facing the cover layer 50 and an inserter 40 received in the recess 39.The inserter 40 is sandwiched between the supporting layer 30 and thecover layer 50. The inserter 40 is made of a fourth material which issofter than the first and second material. The recess 39 may passthrough the supporting layer 30 in the lateral direction andconsequently the inserter 40 passes through the supporting layer 30.Alternatively, the recess 39 comprises a plurality of discrete detentsand the inserter 40 comprises a plurality of discrete sections receivedin the corresponding detents respectively.

In some embodiments, sizes of the inserter 40 in the thickness directiongradually reduce from a middle of the inserter 40 to opposite ends ofthe inserter 40 in the longitudinal direction, which results in thefirmness of the firmness reduced region 36 gradually reducing from theopposite ends of the firmness reduced region 36 to the middle of thefirmness reduced region 36 in the longitudinal direction.

In some embodiments, the inserter 40 has a triangle shape in a crosssection perpendicular to the lateral direction.

The inserter 40 may defines holes for further reducing the firmnessthereof.

FIG. 6 illustrates a mattress in accordance with a third embodiment ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the mattress 10 is round. Thefirst and second sections 32, 34 are arranged in a diameter direction ofthe mattress 10. The mattress 10 comprises a firmness reduced region 36formed in the first section 32. Understandably, the mattress 10 maycomprises several pairs of first and second sections 32, 34 respectivelyarranged in several diameter directions of the mattress 10. Each firstsection 32 has a firmness reduced region 36 formed thereat. Preferably,the several first sections 32 are located in a half of a circle and theseveral second sections 34 are located in the other haft of the circle.Thus, the mattress 10 has a first firmness pattern suitable for sidesleepers when any one of the first sections 32 is used to support thehead of the user while the corresponding second section 34 is used tosupport the feet of the user; and the mattress 10 has a second firmnesspattern suitable for back sleepers when any one of the first sections 32is used to support the feet of the user while the corresponding secondsection 34 is used to support the head of the user.

In summary, the mattress 10 of the present application can be adapted todifferent needs of the customers. On the sales floor, if a customer is aside sleeper and he wants to test the mattress 10, the first section 32of the mattress 10 can be used to support the head and shoulder of thecustomer and the second section 34 can be used to support thewaist/back/foot of the customer. The firmness reduced region 36 issofter than the other regions, which facilities the shoulder of thecustomer to sink and thus allows the spine of the customer to bestraight. Thus, the customer can get the mattress to be perfect for him.If the customer is a back sleeper, the first section 32 can be used tosupport his legs/feet and the second section 34 can be used to supporthis head/shoulder/back/hip thereby providing enough firmness and supportto him. This means, the store has the perfect mattress in stock withmuch less inventory. At home, if the user is a side sleeper, he canchoose the first section 32 to support his head and shoulder and thesecond section 34 to support his waist/back/feet. If the user is a backsleeper, he can choose the first section 32 to support his legs/feet andthe second section 34 to support his head/shoulder/back/hip. Themattress is suitable for users with different postures.

Although the invention is described with reference to one or moreembodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications and variations can be made to the disclosedstructure without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present inventioncover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fallwithin the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mattress comprising a supporting layer defininga longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, wherein the supportinglayer comprises a first section and a second section arranged in thelongitudinal direction, and the first section comprises a firmnessreduced region of which a firmness is less than that of other regions ofthe first section adjacent the firmness reduced region and that of thesecond section.
 2. The mattress of claim 1, wherein the firmness reducedregion defines a plurality of holes.
 3. The mattress of claim 2, whereinthe holes are void.
 4. The mattress of claim 2, wherein the holes arefilled with material which is softer than material of the firmnessreduced region surrounding the holes.
 5. The mattress of claim 2,wherein the holes extend in the lateral direction.
 6. The mattress ofclaim 5, wherein the holes pass through the supporting layer in thelateral direction.
 7. The mattress of claim 2, wherein the supportinglayer further defines a thickness direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and sizes of the holesin the thickness direction gradually reduce from a middle of thefirmness reduced region to opposite ends of the firmness reduced regionin the longitudinal direction.
 8. The mattress of claim 1, wherein thefirst section defines a recess in which an inserter is received, and theinserter is made of material which is softer than material of the firstsection.
 9. The mattress of claim 8, wherein the supporting layerfurther defines a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection and the lateral direction, and sizes of the inserter in thethickness direction gradually reduce from a center of the inserter toopposite ends of the inserter in the longitudinal direction.
 10. Themattress of claim 9, wherein the inserter has a triangle shape in across section perpendicular to the lateral direction.
 11. The mattressof claim 1, wherein the mattress further comprises a cover layer stackedon and covering the supporting layer.
 12. The mattress of claim 11,wherein the cover layer has a thickness which is less than that of thesupporting layer.
 13. A mattress comprising a first end and an oppositesecond end arranged in a direction of the mattress, the mattressconfigured to have a first firmness pattern suitable for side sleeperswhen the first end is used as a head end and the second end is used as afoot end, and have a second firmness pattern suitable for back sleeperswhen the first end is used as a foot end and the second end is used as ahead end.
 14. The mattress of claim 13, wherein the mattress has afirmness distribution which is asymmetric about a middle line of themattress, the middle line being perpendicular to said direction.
 15. Themattress of claim 14, wherein the mattress comprises a firmness reducedregion adjacent to the first end and away from the second end.
 16. Themattress of claim 15, wherein the firmness reduced region defines aplurality of holes.
 17. The mattress of claim 15, wherein the firmnessreduced region comprises a recess and an inserter received in therecess, the inserter being made of material softer than material ofother regions of the mattress.